scholarly journals Distribution of Peripheral Nerve Injuries in Patients with a History of Shoulder Trauma Referred to a Tertiary Care Electrodiagnostic Laboratory

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 887
Author(s):  
Chul-Hyun Cho ◽  
Don-Kyu Kim ◽  
Du Hwan Kim

Peripheral nerve injury after shoulder trauma is an underestimated complication. The distribution of the affected nerves has been reported to be heterogeneous in previous studies. This study aimed to describe the distribution of peripheral nerve injuries in patients with a history of shoulder trauma who were referred to a tertiary care electrodiagnostic laboratory. A retrospective chart review was performed for all cases referred to a tertiary care electrodiagnostic laboratory between March 2012 and February 2020. The inclusion criteria were a history of shoulder trauma and electrodiagnostic evidence of nerve injury. Data on patient demographics, mechanism of injury, degree of weakness, clinical outcomes at the final follow-up, and electrodiagnostic results were retrieved from medical records. Fifty-six patients had peripheral nerve injuries after shoulder trauma. Overall, isolated axillary nerve injury was the most common. A brachial plexus lesion affecting the supraclavicular branches (pan-brachial plexus and upper trunk brachial plexus lesions) was the second most common injury. In cases of shoulder dislocation and proximal humerus fracture, isolated axillary nerve injury was the most common. Among acromioclavicular joint injuries and clavicular fractures, lower trunk brachial plexus injuries and ulnar neuropathy were more common than axillary nerve or upper trunk brachial plexus injuries. Patients with isolated axillary nerve lesions showed a relatively good recovery; those with pan-brachial plexus injuries showed a poor recovery. Our study demonstrated the distribution of peripheral nerve injuries remote from displaced bony structures. Mechanisms other than direct compression by displaced bony structures might be involved in nerve injuries associated with shoulder trauma. Electrodiagnostic tests are useful for determining the extent of nerve damage after shoulder trauma.

2009 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie B. Welch ◽  
Chad M. Brummett ◽  
Terrence D. Welch ◽  
Kevin K. Tremper ◽  
Amy M. Shanks ◽  
...  

Background Peripheral nerve injuries represent a notable source of anesthetic complications and can be debilitating. The objective of this study was to identify associations with peripheral nerve injury in a broad surgical population cared for in the last decade. Methods At a tertiary care university hospital, the quality assurance, closed claims, and institution-wide billing code databases were searched for peripheral nerve injuries over a 10-yr period. Each reported case was individually reviewed to determine whether a perioperative injury occurred, defined as a new sensory and/or motor deficit. The location and type of the injury were also identified. Nerve complications as a result of the surgical procedure itself were excluded, and an expert review panel assisted in the adjudication of unclear cases. Patient preoperative characteristics, anesthetic modality, and surgical specialty were evaluated for associations. Results Of all patients undergoing 380,680 anesthetics during a 10-yr period, 185 patients were initially identified as having nerve injuries, and after review, 112 met our definition of a perioperative nerve injury (frequency = 0.03%). Hypertension, tobacco use, and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with perioperative peripheral nerve injuries. General and epidural anesthesia were associated with nerve injuries. Significant associations were also found with the following surgical specialties: Neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the largest number of consecutive patients ever reviewed for all types of perioperative peripheral nerve injuries. More importantly, this is the first study to identify associations of nerve injuries with hypertension, anesthetic modality, and surgical specialty.


Author(s):  
Jonathan Perera ◽  
Marco Sinisi

Stretching of more than 12% of a nerve or more than 8 hours of ischaemia will result in severe nerve injury. The force required to avulse cervical nerve roots is as little as 200 newtons. The nerve root exiting angles are very important, as different forequarter positions at the time of impact will result in differing force vectors and therefore differing injury. Nerve injuries can be extremely devastating not only for the patient but for their surrounding support structure as well. We discuss and detail the diagnosis and management of these lesions along with the useful investigations and treatment options. The appropriately timed management of these patients can allow good outcomes for both patient physical and subsequent mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Miller ◽  
Joel O'Sullivan ◽  
Jack Jeffrey ◽  
Dominic Power

Abstract Objective The use of the prone position to treat patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who are critically ill and mechanically ventilated is well documented. This case series reports the location, severity, and prevalence of focal peripheral nerve injuries involving the upper limb identified in an acute COVID-19 rehabilitation setting. The purpose of this study was to report observations and to explore the challenges in assessing these patients. Methods Participants were patients with suspected peripheral nerve injuries following discharge from COVID-19 critical care who were referred to the peripheral nerve injury multidisciplinary team. Data were collected retrospectively on what peripheral neuropathies were observed, with reference to relevant investigation findings and proning history. Results During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, 256 patients were admitted to COVID-19 critical care of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom. From March to June 2020, a total of 114 patients required prone ventilation. In this subgroup, a total of 15 patients were identified with clinical findings of peripheral nerve injuries within the upper limb. In total, 30 anatomical nerve injuries were recorded. The most commonly affected nerve was the ulnar nerve (12/30) followed by the cords of the brachial plexus (10/30). Neuropathic pain and muscle wasting were identified, signifying a high-grade nerve injury. Conclusion Peripheral nerve injuries can be associated with prone positioning on intensive care units, although other mechanisms, such as those of a neuroinflammatory nature, cannot be excluded. Impact Proning-related upper limb peripheral nerve injuries are not discussed widely in the literature and could be an area of further consideration when critical care units review their proning protocols. Physical therapists treating these patients play a key part in the management of this group of patients by optimizing the positioning of patients during proning, making early identification of peripheral nerve injuries, providing rehabilitation interventions, and referring to specialist services if necessary. Lay Summary During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients who are very ill can be placed for long periods of time on their stomach to improve their chances of survival. The potential consequences of prolonged time in this position are weakness and pain in the arms due to potential nerve damage. There are some recommended treatments to take care of these problems.


2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (5) ◽  
pp. 2450-2470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Alvarez ◽  
Haley E. Titus-Mitchell ◽  
Katie L. Bullinger ◽  
Michal Kraszpulski ◽  
Paul Nardelli ◽  
...  

Motor and sensory proprioceptive axons reinnervate muscles after peripheral nerve transections followed by microsurgical reattachment; nevertheless, motor coordination remains abnormal and stretch reflexes absent. We analyzed the possibility that permanent losses of central IA afferent synapses, as a consequence of peripheral nerve injury, are responsible for this deficit. VGLUT1 was used as a marker of proprioceptive synapses on rat motoneurons. After nerve injuries synapses are stripped from motoneurons, but while other excitatory and inhibitory inputs eventually recover, VGLUT1 synapses are permanently lost on the cell body (75–95% synaptic losses) and on the proximal 100 μm of dendrite (50% loss). Lost VGLUT1 synapses did not recover, even many months after muscle reinnervation. Interestingly, VGLUT1 density in more distal dendrites did not change. To investigate whether losses are due to VGLUT1 downregulation in injured IA afferents or to complete synaptic disassembly and regression of IA ventral projections, we studied the central trajectories and synaptic varicosities of axon collaterals from control and regenerated afferents with IA-like responses to stretch that were intracellularly filled with neurobiotin. VGLUT1 was present in all synaptic varicosities, identified with the synaptic marker SV2, of control and regenerated afferents. However, regenerated afferents lacked axon collaterals and synapses in lamina IX. In conjunction with the companion electrophysiological study [Bullinger KL, Nardelli P, Pinter MJ, Alvarez FJ, Cope TC. J Neurophysiol (August 10, 2011). doi:10.1152/jn.01097.2010], we conclude that peripheral nerve injuries cause a permanent retraction of IA afferent synaptic varicosities from lamina IX and disconnection with motoneurons that is not recovered after peripheral regeneration and reinnervation of muscle by sensory and motor axons.


Author(s):  
Rajnish K. Gupta ◽  
Alexandria N. Nickless

Peripheral nerve injury in the perioperative period can have a variety of etiologies, including preexisting patient factors and by surgical and anesthetic complications such as intraoperative positioning and nerve blockade. The actual incidence may be difficult to assess, because most nerve injuries resolve with time and frequently require minimal to no intervention. Injuries often manifest more than 48 hours after surgery and have even been noted in patients who undergo awake procedures and in hospitalized patients who never undergo surgery. This should not negate the fact that close attention to detail when positioning patients and performing regional anesthesia may help decrease the overall incidence of nerve injury and should be considered in every anesthesiologist’s perioperative plan. This chapter reviews proper assessment, treatment, and follow-up for peripheral nerve injuries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108
Author(s):  
Adriana Miclescu ◽  
Antje Straatmann ◽  
Panagiota Gkatziani ◽  
Stephen Butler ◽  
Rolf Karlsten ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground and aimsAside from the long term side effects of a nerve injury in the upper extremity with devastating consequences there is often the problem of chronic neuropathic pain. The studies concerning the prevalence of persistent pain of neuropathic origin after peripheral nerve injuries are sparse. The prevalence and risk factors associated with chronic neuropathic pain after nerve injuries in the upper extremity were assessed.MethodsA standardized data collection template was employed prospectively and retrospectively for all patients with traumatic nerve injuries accepted at the Hand Surgery Department, Uppsala, Sweden between 2010 and 2018. The template included demographic data, pain diagnosis, type of injured nerve, level of injury, date of the lesion and repair, type of procedure, reoperation, time since the procedure, S-LANSS questionnaire (Self report-Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs), RAND-36 (Item short form health survey), QuickDASH (Disability of Shoulder, Arm and Hand) and additional questionnaires concerned medication, pain intensity were sent to 1,051 patients with nerve injuries. Partial proportional odds models were used to investigate the association between persistent pain and potential predictors.ResultsMore than half of the patients undergoing a surgical procedure developed persistent pain. Prevalence of neuropathic pain was 73% of the patients with pain (S-LANSS ≥ 12 or more). Multivariate analysis indicated that injury of a major nerve OR 1.6 (p = 0.013), years from surgery OR 0.91 (p = 0.01), younger age OR 0.7 (p < 0.001), were the main factors for predicting pain after surgery. The type of the nerve injured was the strongest predictor for chronic pain with major nerves associated with more pain (p = 0.019).ConclusionsA high prevalence of chronic pain and neuropathic pain with a negative impact on quality of life and disability were found in patients after traumatic nerve injury. Major nerve injury, younger age and less time from surgery were predictors for chronic pain.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimon Rochkind ◽  
Zvi Nevo

Objective. Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) was developed in response to the clinical need of improving treatment for peripheral nerve injuries and helping patients regenerate massive regional losses in peripheral nerves. The efficacy of GRG based on tissue engineering technology for the treatment of complete peripheral nerve injury with significant loss defect was investigated.Background. Many severe peripheral nerve injuries can only be treated through surgical reconstructive procedures. Such procedures are challenging, since functional recovery is slow and can be unsatisfactory. One of the most promising solutions already in clinical practice is synthetic nerve conduits connecting the ends of damaged nerve supporting nerve regeneration. However, this solution still does not enable recovery of massive nerve loss defect.The proposed technologyis a biocompatible and biodegradable gel enhancing axonal growth and nerve regeneration. It is composed of a complex of substances comprising transparent, highly viscous gel resembling the extracellular matrix that is almost impermeable to liquids and gasses, flexible, elastic, malleable, and adaptable to various shapes and formats.Preclinical studyon rat model of peripheral nerve injury showed that GRG enhanced nerve regeneration when placed in nerve conduits, enabling recovery of massive nerve loss, previously unbridgeable, and enabled nerve regeneration at least as good as with autologous nerve graft “gold standard” treatment.


2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (A) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Riki Sukiandra ◽  
Eti Yerizel ◽  
Yuliarni Syafrita ◽  
Eryati Darwin

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inducible Nitric oxide Synthase (iNOS) have an effect on neuropathic pain in the inflammatory process in peripheral nerve injuries. AIM: This study aims to examine the effect of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody on IL-6 and iNOS levels as a consideration for the treatment of neuropathic pain in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury. METHODS: Twenty-eight young adult male Wistar rats were treated for peripheral nerve injury and then divided into two groups. Fourteen treatment groups (Group P) were given anti-IL-6 receptor antibody by injection at a dose of 100 g/day by injection into the saphenous vein in the rat’s leg for 3 days. In both groups, the serum IL-6 and iNOS levels were assessed on the 3rd day after administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody in group P, using the sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: The results showed that the administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody did not have a significant effect on reducing IL-6 and iNOS levels in group P (p > 0.05). Administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody had more effect on IL-6 levels on iNOS levels, where a decrease in IL-6 levels caused a decrease in iNOS levels in group P (p = 0.004 and r = 0.693). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the present administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody cannot be considered as a treatment for neuropathic pain in peripheral nerve injuries, but can be used to influence IL-6 levels on iNOS levels.


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